


Violet Stars, Happy Hunting

by Skatinggirl2011



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Canonical Child Abuse, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gen, Maybe - Freeform, Original Character(s), Past Torture, Relationship(s), Shenanigans, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 05:10:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5193443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skatinggirl2011/pseuds/Skatinggirl2011
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After encountering a thief that stole his loot, Mordecai is forced to work with the same woman to help the Crimson Raiders bring down Handsome Jack. Roland must've lost his mind...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Vague Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I'm really exited about this story, and I hope you all enjoy it! Just a few things to establish before the story. I just own my OCs, clearly (not sure if it's necessary to say this story jumps time. Every odd chapter with take place during Borderlands 2, and the even chapters are flashbacks that take place during and shortly after the Pre-Sequel.

Breath in. Breathe out. _Bang._

Mordecai watched as the first bandit standing between him and the rare collection of loot crumbled to the ground, dead. How this camp managed to get their hands on such a prize was beyond him. They were about as dense as Bullymongs.

From his position atop a cliff, he peered through the sniper scope once more and aimed for one of the psychos attempting to scale the cliff he was on, only to discover the decapitated body on the ground with a pool of blood collecting around it, and a woman charging into the camp with dual swords brandished.

Her sleek, long hair was pulled back, and her face was covered with a mask- half orange, half black- that matched the color scheme of her black and blue outfit with two lines of orange, accentuating her torso and wrist cuffs.

Mordecai was a bit thrown off by the swords. Was this chick nuts? Sure, he’s heard of swords as melee weapons, but guns were primarily used in fights. There was no way she would make it out alive.

He watched as she moved swiftly and effortlessly, cutting down the bandits that stood in her way, not seeming to be bothered by the barrage of bullets that rained down as she took cover every so often to let her shield recharge.

“Shit,” he muttered. There was no way he was letting some chick take his loot. He briefly toyed with the idea of killing her on the spot, and he aimed at the woman, but decided against it for the time being. She would save him bullets and help Bloodwing, who was already on the offensive, clear out the camp. He could just take her out the moment the camp was clear.

If he wasn’t mistaken, he could see a smile on her blood-spattered face as she lunged at her next victim and dodged the ax that was hurled at her face before kicking the pyscho in the chest and slashing the man in two. He wondered if she met Lilith- they would probably get along. Going in, guns- or swords- blazing, and enjoying every moment of chaos that surrounds them.

Mordecai took a swig of his rakk-ale and began picking of the bandits that Bloodwing and the woman weren’t getting. He almost felt sorry for the bandits. Almost. They should’ve known to prepare the moment they got hold of that loot. On Pandora, if you had something valuable, it was pretty much guaranteed others would come to kill you for it and claim it as their own. It was the circle of life on this hellhole of a planet, and he couldn’t help but love it.

Which was why he grinned as he brought his sights on the woman who had just brought down the last bandit that stood guard over the chest. “Nothing personal, chica,” he grumbled.

Breathe in- she stared directly at him. Breathe out- she smirked and gave a two finger salute. _Bang_.

There was a cloud of smoke that surrounded her just as he fired. He held his breath and waited for the smoke to clear, only to reveal a clear area with no body or chest- only Bloodwing perched on a shack with the woman’s mask hanging from her beak and a blood spatters on the wall she previously in front of.


	2. Enter Hyperion

“Remember, Makeda, you’re just here to observe and learn,” the older man said as he stared down at his daughter, who was looking at the strange, talkative robots situated at the desks around them. "I don't want you talking to him."

“Shouldn’t Cass be doing this?” Her older sister was next in line to take over and was was normally the one that would accompany their father on these deals, particularly the ones with Hyperion. He sighed as the crease in his brow furrowed even more that it was, reminding her more of his age as the wrinkles grew more pronounced with this simple action. “Besides,” his daughter continued, “shouldn’t we be meeting with the CEO rather than some code monkey?”

The frustration radiating off the man was so tangible, she could feel it beating into her chest and weighing on her shoulders. She wasn’t trying to be obstinate, she just wanted to understand the thought process behind it.

“It’s an important skill for you to learn, and this man is the one that offered a deal.” He gave the young woman a small smile and tucked a strand of her long white hair behind her ear- his typical and only gesture of affection he’d give in her twenty-five years. “He’s the man with the plan, so to speak, and our regime gains more from his plans for the future than what the CEO is-“

“Good afternoon sir and lady! I am a CL4P-TP steward robot and Jack’s best friend. Jack has asked me to escort you both-“

“I know the way.” The gruff man began walking down the hallway as his daughter glanced briefly at the robot stumbling over its words before following her father through the pristine Hyperion hallway, where large banners of a man around her father’s age peered down at them from behind glasses. His Mona-Lisa eyes followed them with each step. Makeda could tell from the pictures and posters she’d seen that Harold Tassiter was a snooty, cock-sure old man with a strong disdain for those beneath him. She made sure to scoff up the polished floors under the posters’ watchful gaze. She caught up to her father at the doors to the man’s office, which weren’t opening.

The claptrap unit rolled up and cheerfully reassured them. “Just one moment while I-“ there was a shock and a _zap_ and the claptrap fell to the ground, still and silent, as the doors sipped open to reveal a man, slightly taller than the was, in a yellow Hyperion shirt, jeans, and a brown leather jacket.

“Sorry about that. Needed to get rid of that thing somehow,” the Hyperion employee commented as he observed the last sparks fizzle out from the robot. Then his gaze met hers. “Hey there, kiddo. Name’s Jack,” he held his hand out to her. She glanced down at it. Those hands hadn’t seen a day of hard labor in their lives. She looked back up at his heterochromatic eyes the looked at her with uncertainty. “This is, uh, usually the part where you introduce yourself,” he added.

“This is my other daughter, Makeda. Cassandra will no longer be accompanying me- figured it was time for Makeda to learn the ropes.” The bitterness in his voice went unnoticed by Jack, and Makeda couldn’t help but wonder what her father wasn’t telling her, or if he truly was bothered by bringing her along. Jack stepped aside to allow the pair to enter his office.

“So Max, how are things on Gildeon?” The doors closed behind them.

“Production is going smoothly. We’ve tested out a few prototypes,” her father paused briefly, figuring out the best way to phrase his news, "and they were faulty. I’ve had a few of our personnel record the testing. Makeda will update your echo.” Max sat down in the chair across from Jack, and Makeda stood behind him with her echo out, pressing a few buttons before hooking it back onto her belt.

A voice popped up from Jack’s echo, “I’ve found someone who might be willing to work with us.”

Jack scrambled to his feet and pressed a button to change the echolink’s output to his earpiece. “Excuse me for a moment,” he said to Max and Makeda before walking over to the window with a view of Elpis and spoke in a hushed tone to the woman that had contacted him. Her father began sifting through his notes on his tablet, and she took this opportunity to explore Jack’s office. What could she say- she wanted to get an idea of the man her father was choosing to back.

To her right were bookshelves and a case with a map in it. If there was any better place to get to know a person, besides directly speaking with them, she hadn’t found it. The first thing she looked at was the map, which was of Elpis and the various factions on the surface, as well as where Dahl’s current locations on the planet. There were a few marking that weren’t identified or elaborated on, which peaked her curiosity. What purpose did this map serve? Was it a war map? She had no doubt the various corporations waged proxy wars against each other, so it was likely he was planning an attack. Or was it a treasure map, with the strange markings on the map? Either way, it probably played a factor in her father’s reasoning to back this man.

She moved to look at the books, most of which dealt with coding and mechatronics, but she noted the few game theory books as well as several biographies of prominent leaders of the past- those that transcended planetary boundaries. So he was ambitious, and based on his selections, he was planning to take over Hyperion. Maybe that’s what her father was helping him with, and why he wasn’t consulting with Tassiter.

“Find anything interesting?” Makeda spun around to come face to face with Jack, and her father rose to his feet.

“Please excuse her. She doesn’t-“ 

Jack waved him off dismissively. “So you’re interested in coding, Kitten?”

Makeda glanced back and forth between Jack and Max, confused on the course of action she should take: follow her father’s order not to speak, or converse with the man they were working with. “You do know how to speak, right?” he paused and turned to Max. “Please tell me you taught her more than just fighting…”

She huffed, annoyed at the situation she was in and how Jack was patronizing her. “I do. And, no I’m not. I was just looking at the books on game theory.” She placed a hand on her cocked hip. “It’s more my style. Coding is too straight-“

“We should get back to business,” her father interrupted, trying to get the conversation back on track and away from his daughter.

Jack smirked at her before sauntering back to his desk to pick up where they’d left off.

* * *

 

Makeda stormed up to her room and locked the door behind her. On the way back from Helios, Max had lectured her about the importance of following directive, and while she tried to argue it would’ve been rude to stay silent, he countered that she should wonder around in the first place. _‘Know your place,’_ was the last thing he said to her before arriving back to their estate. 

There was something he wasn’t telling her, which was why, she figured, he didn’t want her interacting with Jack more than she had to.

“Hey there, pumpkin.” Her echo crackled to life with the very man that stirred up the rift between the family members.

“Speak of the devil,” she muttered and jolted up to snatch her echo. “Does my father know you’re contacting me?”

She heard him laugh before commenting, “Do you always do what daddy tells you? I’m assuming that’s why things got a little testy between you two after our little interaction.” Makeda remained silent and bristled at the implication that she wasn’t independent. “Look, uh, if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t mean to make things weird between you two.”

She rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”

“Hey now, no need to get hostile,” he commented. “I have a deal for you.”

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t interested. Makeda bit her lip. Despite disobeying her father, she could possibly prove herself and her intellect to her father. “Go on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it! I'll have the next chapter out soon.


	3. Close Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a lot of fun writing this! Hope y'all enjoy it! Also, if you want something to listen to, Janelle Monae's Arch-Android album is what I've been listening to throughout writing this story.

Mordecai trudged over to his usual seat at Moxxi’s- or at least the seat he’d occupied for the past two days as a result of being put in charge of Sanctuary while Roland was away.

“Still upset about the loot, Sugar?” the sultry voice of the bartender pulled him from his thoughts on how to get the guns back. Moxxi sat a drink in front of him on the polished bar slab. As he got his money out to pay, she waved him off. “As much as I hate turning away money, it’s already been taken care of. Although,” She paused and placed a hand on her hip, “you could always put that in my tip jar.”

He waved her away and muttered a “thanks”, only to hear her laugh. It was almost a harsh laugh, and had he not been extremely familiar with the temptress, he would’ve taken it personally.

“Oh, it wasn’t me.” She then pointed at a woman a few seats away from him. She was dressed in all black with an oversized leather jacket that seemed to swallow her whole. She looked over at him and tipped her head to one side, causing her long, white hair to fall over her shoulder. She stubbed out her cigarette in the ash tray in front of her and winked at him as she got up to leave.

The woman brushed passed him and said in a low, husky voice, “You looked a bit down.” Before he could ask for her name or even tell her to fuck off, she was gone.

Mordecai heard Moxxi mutter something under her breath, more than likely something about him and his ineptness, but he chose to ignore it. He was too hung-over to verbally spar with her.

He stared down at his reflection in the countertop and sighed. Only two more days, and then he could leave this place. He was only there because Roland asked him to do this. And while he hated babysitting- because that’s essentially what he was doing at this point- he owed Roland several times over. Besides, even if he didn’t owe Roland one, Mordecai would do whatever the man asked.

Loyalty was a funny thing. While he preferred to be on his own, with Bloodwing at his side, the Vault Hunters were like family. A crazed, strange family that was arguably dysfunctional in their own ways, but a family that functioned well together nonetheless. They understood and looked out for one another, even if they were scattered across Pandora.

Mordecai chugged the free drink and stared at the bottom of the glass. The amber liquid warmed his insides and the fire in his veins that had been subdued by the hangover returned. He pulled out his echo and examined the custom markings on the virtual map. He had managed to “convince” a few bandits to give up whatever information they had on the woman in the blue, black and orange. He was getting closer to tracking her down. There was no way he was letting those guns slip away that easily. He had his eyes on the sniper rifle for a while now.

He was almost startled when a voice spoke through the echo to him. “We, uh, have a situation at headquarters that needs your attention.”

Of all the days to have shit go down in Sanctuary…

Mordecai stood up and nodded to Moxxi before storming out of the bar. As soon as he rounded the corner to the Crimson Raiders’ headquarters, he could already hear the shouts and gunshots from inside. Within seconds, Bloodwing was at his side.

“I got this, girl,” he muttered as he leapt onto a dumpster and hoisted himself onto the roof of the adjacent building.  “Stay out here just in case whoever the fuck is stupid enough to mess with us gets out.”

Mordecai launched himself onto the balcony of headquarters and snuck in the door and through the rooms until he reached the entrance to the stairs. He pulled out a Jakobs revolver and peered around the corner to get a handle on the situation before acting.

There, at the bottom of the steps was the woman from the bar; wielding dual swords- the ones belonging to the very woman he had been trying to track down. He smirked as he thanked Lady Luck and her divine providence. He would enjoy this.

Mordercai switched to an electric weapon, and as he fired, the woman turned just so that the shock hit her blade.

The woman yelped and dropped the electrified blade. “Sonofa- I just want to talk to Roland! Stop shooting!” She spun around to look him in the eye just before Mordecai shot her in the leg. The room lit up with blue light and began to smell of burning flesh as she crumbled to the ground. The two masked Crimson Raiders took the opportunity to tie up the woman.

They hoisted her up as Mordecai flew down the stairs. “’Sup, Birdboy,” she commented, voice smoky and laced with the smirk she couldn’t manage due to the twitching from the electric shock.

“We found her trying to break into Roland’s safe. She knocked out Tannis,” one of the men reported.

“Looks like you’re in over your head, pendeja,” Mordecai stated as he pushed her into a chair. The woman just rolled her eyes, seemingly unbothered by the fact several guns were trained on her. “Wanna explain why you’re trying to screw another man out of his loot?”

She scoffed and smirked. “If you’re referring to the incident back at the bandit camp, I didn’t screw you out of the loot. As I recall, you didn’t get to those guns first, and I did, so they were mine.”

It took all of his self-control to not put a bullet in her brain. “You working for someone?”

The woman finally met his gaze. Shining amber eyes challenged his as she shook her head. “A man could only be so lucky.”

“Interesting comment coming from a woman tied up,” Mordecai retorted as he crouched forward so that his face was mere inches from hers.

Much to his surprise, she laughed and shrugged. “Eh, fair point. But in my defense, I kinda winged this one. No planning whatsoever.” The smirk remained. “And who says I can’t get myself out of this?”

“Well then, why haven’t you?” he challenged, straightening up and taking a step back, only to see the ropes around her wrists fall to the ground. Mordecai whipped out his revolver. “Move, and I put a bullet between your eyes.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” she muttered, and her smirk faded. For the first time he witnessed the telltale signs of anxiety. There was a slight tremor in her hands that would’ve been undetectable to anyone but a sharpshooter with the trained eye. “Look, I just need to speak with Roland.”

“After you tried to steal from him?”

“He knows me. We go way back. I came here to exchange information for what I need. He wasn’t here, so I decided to take what I needed and just pay him back later.”

She was insane. He was sure of it. Nobody stole from the Crimson Raiders, especially at their home base, unless they had a death wish.

“If you don’t believe me,” she continued, “echo him. I would’ve, but I don’t own one.”

For some unknown reason, Mordecai did as she suggested, and if anyone tried to question it, he would assert he was doing it to deescalate the situation- even if he did resent her. The knives hidden at her wrists didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“Yo, Roland,” he spoke into the small device. “There’s a chick here, Say’s she knows you- tried to steal from you.”

“Name?” the deep baritone responded, and Mordecai looked towards the woman for an answer.

“Kei.”

Mordecai relayed the information to Roland, who confirmed he knew her. There was the unmistakable tone of pity in his voice. “Give her what she needs. Girl’s in a tight spot, but tell Kei she’ll be hearing from me soon.”

He ended the call, slightly annoyed that Kei was telling the truth.

“You heard ‘em,” he stated to Kei, who was staring at a spot on the concrete floor- undoubtedly from one of Tannis’s experiments. He turned to punch in the code for the safe.

“Forget it,” he heard her growl as she stood up and took her swords from the man that had tied her up. “Roland can keep his money and his pity. I don’t need that shit.”

Kei stalked over to him, and he turned around to fully face her as she held out her hand. “I do want my mask back, however.”

“Give me those guns you took, and you’ve got a deal.”

She laughed once more, but this time it was harsh- cutting; unlike the laughter during their banter. “Those are long gone by now.” She spun on her heel and ran out, leaving Mordecai to stew in his rage.


	4. Uncertain Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait on this next chapter. I had finals and graduation, so it's been busy. I have mixed feelings about this chapter, and I might go back and edit it at a later date, but I hope you all enjoy it. Happy holidays!

“Keep your eyes open! God, even I’m embarrassed for you.” Makeda crossed her arms and cocked her hip to one side as she observed the holes in the barn wall. As much as she wanted to laugh, she had a feeling this would reflect poorly on the adequacy of her tutelage.

Makeda had agreed to help Jack learn how to use a gun- no questions asked, which allowed him to travel freely back and forth between Helios and Gildeon, and gave him an excuse to see her sister. In return, he’d get her involved in her father’s weaponization program and hire her whenever the time came to expand Hyperion.

They’d been working together for the past two weeks on techniques, and just as life tended to be, there were good days and bad days. And today happened to be a bad day- one of the worst. 

Jack reloaded his gun as he glared at her. “I am!”

“Could’ve fooled me,” she replied and chuckled. “That poor wall has never been so abused in its life.” 

Sunlight streamed through the many holes, forming a halo around the target Jack was supposed to be shooting at. “Well, maybe I thought the place needed some redecorating,” Jack shot back as he raised the Jakob’s revolver and aimed it at the target once more. “Maybe if I had a better gun…”

“Trust me, it’s not the gun.” Makeda strolled over to him, took the gun, and fired it several times. In front of them, the concrete target was smiling back at them, mirroring the look she was giving Jack. “And I’m not big on using guns.” Makeda tossed the gun back over to Jack.

“Cute…” He, much to her surprise, caught the revolver and reloaded it once more. “You know, if anyone tells you surpassing a man’s skill in any activity is a definite turn-off, they’re wrong.”

Makeda rolled her eyes. By now, she was used to those types of comments from him. She realized he was totally harmless, and she was almost certain he made comments like that to make her flustered. Not that it ever worked. Besides, she knew he was interested in her sister, so any lewd comment made towards her seemed half-hearted.

“Mind if I try one of my own?” He asked and only received a shrug in response. He set the revolver on the floor before fiddling with some winged contraption on his wrist that Makeda hadn’t even bothered to ask about when he showed up earlier. The winged thing went off, firing lasers everywhere, igniting a few barrels around them before the wrist gun shorted out.

“Damnit!” Jack started tinkering with the contraption.

“What the hell was that?” Makeda yelled and closed the gap between them to catch his tinkering hand. ”Would you stop that? You want it to act up again?”

He caught her stern gaze, but was able to pick out the concern- or fear- in her eyes. He wasn’t sure which at this point, and he knew not to tease her about it in the moment. She was on edge, and teasing her about her feelings could very well end in a bullet to the foot. It wouldn’t be the first time she tried.

“It’s a new prototype I’ve been working on,” he attempted to wrestle his wrists out of her grip, but failed.

“Looks like you’ve got a long way to go.”

Jack shrugged and glanced over at the brick target to find a “nose” had been added to the smiley. At his smirk, she followed the direction of his gaze to find one of the lasers had actually hit the target.

“Lucky shot,” she muttered before the ground shook beneath them. “What the-“

Without warning, a fireball tore through the roof of the barn, igniting their surroundings. “Looks like I’m not the only one that thought the place needed redecorating.”

Makeda bolted passed Jack, pulling him along with her as she dodged the debris falling around them. “Not the time, Jack!” Sirens off in the distance warned the citizens of the sudden invasion. _‘Who’s even manning that thing?’_ she wondered. Usually they had ample time to prepare for an attack. They could see it coming from miles away, but today deviated from the norm.

The pair burst through the door of the barn into a massacre. Before them, Dahl forces slaughtered everything in their path, failing to spare children and the elderly. The citizens trained to fight were attempting to hold off the forces, but each time a Dahl soldier fell, they seemed to rise back to life with some unseen force guiding them and enhancing their strength.

Makeda was torn. She needed to get Jack to safety, but she needed to help her fellow warriors get the noncombatants to shelter. Lucky for her, Jack made up his mind to stay and help. He took out the revolver they’d been using during practice and began firing at the soldiers. Much to her surprise, he managed to hit a few- the shots didn’t kill the soldiers, but at least it was something that would slow their advances.

"Stay close by," she ordered. Smiling, she pulled out her sword and charged into battle. Maybe there was hope for the nerdy Hyperion code monkey.

She fought beside a man and a woman, defending their children from the onslaught. With each slash and stab, they managed to slow the soldiers down long enough for the children to escape towards her father’s estate that doubled as a safe-house under war-like conditions.

It was a massacre, on both sides. With each person the Dahl forces cut down, the more rage Makeda and her fellow warriors became more fierce as rage fueled their actions, which usually resulting in several decapitated soldiers at a time. 

“Makeda?” Her father’s voice boomed over the echolink.

“I’m here in the east village,” she said while wiping the blood from her brow. “Soldiers are everywhere. What’s going on? I wasn’t aware of any intergalactic rifts involving our planet-“

“Is Jack with you?”

“Yes-“

“Bring him to me now.” The communication was cut off. Makeda glanced over at the Hyperion employee, ducking behind a barrel and shooting at anything that came near him, and back to the citizens struggling to get to shelter. Her stomach churned. Sure, the deal with Hyperion was important, but she and her father had a duty to protect their people above all else. Why would her father turn his back on them now?

Channeling the frustration she felt, Makeda decapitated the soldier in front of her before spinning around on her heel and running towards Jack. “Come on,” she yelled and grabbed him by the wrist before bolting for the estate.

"We have sight of the target," she heard a soldier call out, and bullets rained down on the pair, clipping her in the shoulder as she shielded Jack. _Are they after him?_ Jack halted in front of her to check on her, but she pushed him forward. 

"Stop being a wuss, I'm fine."

Behind her, her fellow warriors called out for her help, but all she could do was run, and in that moment, she hated herself for it. She hated Jack for being at her side, and she hated her father for making her turn her back on her comrades. 

*****************************************

The oak doors to the great hall slammed shut behind Makeda and Jack, and Makeda finally released his wrist from her grip. She stormed up to her father, who watched the destruction of villages from the window.

“Are you out of your mind?” she yelled and barged in front of him to block his view. “Our people need help. You can’t just leave them out there to die.”

Max stared down at his daughter, challenging her glare with a serene stare. “I’m not. Cass and the rest of our forces are out there.”

“But I’m not out there fighting! Instead you have me babysitting-“

“Makeda, Jack needs to get to-“

“-and running like some coward-“

“Makeda.”

“I should be out there-“

Jack looked on as Max raised a hand and brought it across Makeda’s face, causing a resounding clap to echo through the room. To the bystander, he hadn’t expected such an action from the stoic man, and from the look on Makeda’s face, she hadn’t either.

“Do not question my authority,” Max stated calmly. “I have other plans outside of your supposed babysitting.” He pulled a plugged vial from his coat pocket and gave it to her before turning his back to her to face Jack. “Jack and I have decided you are to be the subject that receives the new formula we’ve synthesized from my blood to give you the same enhanced abilities. Desperate times, and all.”

Makeda rolled the green vile between her fingers, unsure of what to make of it. She had wanted to be involved in their partnership, but was this the only way she could participate. She gave Jack a weary look. “You can’t be serious.”

“You’re the best candidate,” Jack responded and shrugged. “Same blood type, gene-pool- all the conditioning you’d need-“

“What about Cass?”

“She’s in line to rule,” her father answered for Jack. “Should something go wrong, it can’t happen to the next in line-“

“So I’m expendable,” she muttered, and turned around to look out at the battle raging on below them. She knew about her father’s modified genetics that gave him extra strength and speed as well as enhanced reflexes, but she’d never thought he would offer her the same chance he had.

She felt hands on her shoulders, and she was spun around to come face to face with her father. He wiped the blood from her face with his white sleeve “You’re strong. If anyone could handle it, it’s you.”

Makeda had never heard such praise from her father, and her pulse quickened. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

“You can help me defend our people,” he added, in case she needed more persuasion than his encouragement and kind words.

“But neither of you are sure about the success rate?” she questioned and looked over Max’s shoulder towards Jack.

“You’d be the first test subject,” Jack answered.

Yes, she wanted to make her father proud, and she wanted to help the citizens of Gildeon out, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t scared. They sprung this on her quickly, and she brain was trying to grasp all of the possible outcomes. On one hand, she’d be more like her father, and more likely to make him happy. On the other hand, her body could completely reject the formula and, worst-case scenario, she could die. Best case if her body rejected it, she'd be insane.

“Do it for me, Makeda,” her father prodded and cupped her chin to turn her gaze back to him. “You’re ready for this.”

In the background, Jack was speaking with someone over his echo, brow furrowed and frown clearly visible. He had just received an urgent message from Helios, urging him to return earlier than he had planned. Unauthorized ships were approaching the moon base and were threatening the launch of the Vault Hunters.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” he yelled as he ended the communication and addressed the pair on the other side of the room. “I have to get back to Helios. Those damn Dahl ships are planning an attack on Helios.”

Max turned to him and nodded. “Go. There’s a fast-travel station in the room across from this one. I’ll keep you updated.”

As Jack left the room, Max urged his daughter once more to take the formula. With a reluctant smile, she nodded, unplugged the vial and brought it to her lips.


	5. Unexpected Visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for being super absent. Thank you for all of the support and for reading and whatnot. It really means a lot to me. First off, I've added a cat in the story after a thread with truxicanfalconer on tumblr that made me fall in love with the idea of Kei owning a cat. There's a short blip on Kei's tumblr about the origin of that cat if you're interested. Anyways, hope y'all enjoy!

Choosing to live in a frozen wasteland seemed like a good idea at the time she arrived on Pandora, purely for the purposes of laying low, but Kei was beginning to regret that decision as she trudged through the snow and up to the door of the abandoned shack, pulling a tarp of her daily loot behind her. By the time she reached the door, she had lost most of the feeling in her feet and hands.

Kei fiddled with the lock on the door before opening it and was greeted by a fluffy, orange cat that she immediately shuffled away to make room for the new loot. The bones in her body ached as she shuffled over to the furnace and stoked the coals she’d kept burning while she was out, causing the fire to roar back to life. “Fucking cold-ass tundra,” she muttered to herself as she reached for the Bullymong fur blanket she made and bundled up in front of the fire, waiting for her body to thaw out.

No, living in impossibly cold temperatures wasn’t on the top of Kei’s list of things she preferred, but it did help keep the Hyperion spies and Pandoran bandits at bay for the most part- and it was the last place Handsome Jack would think of looking for her, since he’d experienced her unpleasant reaction to the cold first hand. Still, it didn’t make it any easier or comforting. The constant threat of frostbite and hypothermia tended to put a damper on things, as did the frequent joint pain brought on by the frigid temperatures.

The constant meowing of the cat pulled her from her miserable musings and back to reality. “Oh, sorry Milkman.” Kei rose to her feet and scuffled over to the bag she had dragged in. It wasn’t so much a bag, but rather fishing nets tied together by random pieces of fabric she’d scavenged from dead bandits. It did its job, more or less. From the massive makeshift bag, she pulled out a pouch, scrunching up her nose at the smell, which made her question whether the meat had gone rancid- but she recalled that it was normal for the smell of skags- its what made their scent distinguishable from miles away.

She dumped part of the contents of the pouch into a cup the previous occupants left behind and shoved it towards the cat, who eagerly pawed at the meat a few times before finally eating. “Yeah, you better appreciate that,” she muttered before sneezing. “Stupid cat.”

Kei made her way into the kitchen, making sure to run her fingers over the ring-stained wood, to assure her this was still a reality- it was hard to tell these days- before grabbing a kettle and throwing some water and spices to place over the furnace. That ring had been there when she found the place, and it brought her some comfort. It became a routine to run her fingers over it every time she passed. The ring gave her a sense of connection to the previous owners of the place, making her feel not as alone.

As the frost from her eyebrows and nostrils melted, she removed her black and tan keffiyeh wrapped around most of her face, letting her matted hair fall past her shoulders.

_Knock. Knock._

The keffiyeh dangled from her hand as adrenalin kicked in, and she reached for her sword. How did anyone manage to get through the trip wire alarms and traps? Did Hyperion find out where she was and send someone? There was another knock, at which she wrapped her keffiyeh back around her head so that only her eyes were showing. With the sword behind her back, Kei made her way to the door and partially opened it, leaving the chain lock on.

“What do you-“ her fake deep voice caught in her throat when the figure at the door gave her a rare crooked smile. “Roland?”

It was now clear why she hadn’t been alerted to visitors; though it wasn’t clear why he was visiting her- he wasn’t one to make house calls. He nodded as a greeting, “Makeda. Mind if we come in for a bit?”

“It’s Kei,” she corrected, unlocking the door and stepping aside to let him in before pausing. “Wait. We?” Just as Roland entered, the man with the bird entered, brushing snow from the bird’s feathers before doing the same for himself. “What is he doing here?” Kei pointed at the man that seemed to hold a grudge against her. She yanked off the head covering.

“Look, chica, I ain’t too happy about bein’ here either,” the Truxican commented, taking a seat on the lone sofa in the room. The cat, having finished his food, began stalking the man’s bird, curious about the new animal in the room.

“I asked him to be here.” Roland glanced around the cozy quarters, not surprised at the slight untidiness of the place, given the state he’d seen her in when they first met. “We have a few things to dis-“

The kettle over the furnace began whistling, interrupting Roland and causing the bird on the lanky man’s shoulder to shriek. “Shut that bird up, String bean,” Kei ordered as she flew over to the burner to remove the tea. “I’d offer you some, Roland, but I only have one mug…” Kei trailed off as she poured the tea and mixed it with some amber liquid from a flask on her belt. Normally, she’d feel guilty about not offering him any, but he did bring an unwelcomed guest with him, which made it easier to be stingy. She heard Roland comment on the habit she hadn’t kicked, but chose to ignore it as she took a sip from the concoction and leaned against the counter. “So, what did you need to discuss? We are even on favors and whatnot, aren’t we?”

Since Kei had arrived on the planet, she owed Roland favors in exchange for helping her out during the rough transition, and she thought she had just recently paid off her debt to the commander.

“Yes, but we could use your assistance-“

“What’s in it for me, and why exactly is Bird Brain here?”

Roland held out his hand to silence Mordecai’s protest and chuckled. “I see you haven’t changed a bit. I’ll get to why Mordecai’s here, but what you’ll get out is money, a chance at a vault, and prevent Handsome-“

Kei slammed her mug on the counter. “No. Absolutely not.” The first two things were right up her ally. She was running low on cash to bribe the bandits that knew her not to tell Hyperion her location in exchange for the reward money. However, she had her limits when it came to accepting jobs, and anything involving possibly coming into contact with Handsome Jack was out of the question.

“Look Kei, I know you’re laying low, but we could use as many skilled fighters as we can to stop him from destroying the planet.”

She waved him off. “Good luck with that, but you can count me out.”

“There are lives at stake-“

“It’s Pandora, people are always dying around here one way or another.” Kei turned her back to the men to keep the fire going and to hide her face from Roland. Despite whatever façade she put on, Roland could always read through it by looking at her eyes. It infuriated her the first time she met him, and it continued to do so to this very day. “Circle of life and whatnot. Regimes rise and fall every day- although I guess there’s no actual regime here… but you get the idea.” _You’re rambling, Kei. Not helping_.

“So you’d let that same psychopath try to destroy another planet? That doesn’t bother you, Makeda?”

Kei spun around fists clenched and eyes blazing. “Don’t call me that!”

Roland stalked over to her, but his face was calm. “I know you don’t want to get involved. I get it. You’re trying to protect your sister and your people-“

“Don’t bring them-“

“But you have no guarantee that once he takes control of Pandora and has the Warrior at his disposal that he won’t come after Gildeon. You’ve seen what power can do to people, and you- out of anyone- have seen how power hungry Jack is.”

Kei remained quiet, taking in his words, which- as much as she hated it- made sense. And while she was still bitter about how Gildeon was saved, Kei couldn’t live with herself if something happened to her people through her own inaction- not after everything she went through for them. Sure, part of her still cared, but the other part couldn’t let the years of suffering for her planet’s safety go to waste. She looked down at her feet, swaying back and forth. “What if- what if I’m captured?” Kei crossed her arms across her chest. There was no way she’d make it out alive if that happened. Not after everything she’d put them through in escaping.

“We won’t let that happen, but in the event it does, the Vault Hunters will assist you.” Roland placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. “You have my word.”

Kei remained silent for a few moments as she ran through all of the possibilities the presented path might hold. Milkman, sensing her anxiety, rubbed up against her legs in an attempt to calm her down. A small smile formed as she glanced down at the cat. While he was annoying, he had his moments- he was, after all, her first companion on her journey off of Helios. With a sigh of resignation, Kei met Roland’s eyes and bit her bottom lip. “What do you need me to do?” Kei brushed Roland’s hand off her should and went back to the counter for her mug, the contents of which she downed like it was her first drink after a long journey.

“You’ll be working with Mordecai, gathering intel about the Vault key and anything related to stopping Jack.”

“I don’t need a babysitter. You’ve seen what I can do-“

“This has nothing to do with your ability, Kei. We need all hands on deck here. You two really pose a threat to Hyperion, particularly if you’re working together, and you need to have each other’s backs.”

Both Mordecai and Kei scoffed at the idea of protecting one another.

“Uh, not to question your reasoning, but this is the same person that held a revolver to my head with the intention to-“

“I wasn’t going to kill you for no reason-“

Kei glared over at Mordecai, who was now standing. “Not exactly helping your case here.”

Roland rubbed his temples at the two quarreling and for a brief moment felt as though he had made a mistake. “Have I ever led either of you astray?” he asked, interrupting their childish bickering. The pair shook their heads. “Exactly. Put aside whatever it is putting you both at each other’s throats and work together. You’re my two best spies. Mordecai has the details of your next mission. Don’t disappoint me.” With that, he left the shack and the two of them alone, knowing he’d said the right thing to at least guilt them into working together.


	6. Desperation

Makeda’s body burned as the wounds incurred from battle healed up right before her eyes. The light trickling in from her bedroom window seared her retinas and brought on a powerful migraine.

“You’re experiencing a normal reaction to the serum’s powers. It’ll be a while before it will become bearable.” That's what Max had continuously told her after each administration of the drug, and even after a month, she had yet to feel her body adjust. 

For the first time in her life, she was feeling the rumblings of resentment towards her father. Yes, improved fighting skills, strength, agility, and regeneration was theoretically great, but the process of adjusting to such modifications was painful and forced her to take breaks from the fight- leaving hundreds of people to die in her place.

Hundreds of deaths she could’ve prevented, but instead, there she was laying in a bed waiting to gain her sight back as the world around her shook from forces she’d never experienced in her life. And maybe she couldn't prevent much, but the _what-if'_ s plagued her mind with each break she had to take. If the serum truly worked, she could be a better asset on the battlefield rather than laying in wait in the hospital wing, tweaking battle formations and adjusting the weapon her father had put her in charge of in an attempt to keep her mind occupied.

Makeda rolled over and fumbled for the flask on the bedside table and took a large drink from it to numb the pain- even if it took a substantial amount as a result of the serum’s regenerative element.

“Kei-“ a deep baritone voice paused as the man it belonged to- a dark blur in her vision- entered the room and bowed his head.

She flailed her arms in protest. “No, no. Stop that. I’ve told you before my name is Makeda, Theo.”

“My apologies,” he sat down on the corner of her bed and snatched the flask out of the woman’s tattooed hands. “Are you sure drinking is the best thing for you?” Theo asked and took a drink.

“It’s not like it affects me that much now,” she muttered bitterly. It would be expensive to return to the warm, swirly state of mind she loved and used to cope.

“Well then, you won’t mind if I finish this off then?” he asked as he took another drink, only to be met with a pillow to the face.

“Actually, I would,” she growled and took the pillow back. “What are you doing here anyways?”

Theo had grown up with Makeda- gone through training and initiation and war with her; seen her at her worst and still stayed by her side, and she was there for him when her father made him his right-hand man, passing her over for the position. Which is why she was suspicious of his being with her at the current moment- her father had more than likely sent him. He rarely came to her room for personal business.

“Your father requests your presence in the war room,” he passed the flask back to her, which she snatched out of her hands and downed the last bit of it. “There have been certain developments, and he wants you involved, particularly with the weapon you helped create.”

Hands covered and massaged the angular face that had developed tension with the thought of ever using the weapon she’d overseen. Heart-sore and war-torn internal hands wrestled with the desire between wanting to fall in line with her father’s plans and just wanting the bloodshed to end.

It was a purely selfish wish- wanting the fighting to end. Usually, she loved fighting, but that’s when it was a fair fight. These creatures and super-soldiers were decimating her planet, and there was nothing she could do except be a pawn and experiment. Used until she couldn’t stand; allowed respite and then forced to go back into battle, knowing that the results she produced would only further entrench her in being a pawn, rather than a leader like her father.  

And she did produce results. Anything her father asked, she did- no questions asked. It made her scared. If she did well, others might be given the serum- be like her. At this point in time, despite the pain she was in, she had her father’s full attention and praise. There was no way she would share that with anyone else. It had taken years to get to this position, one of symbiosis, with her father reaping all of the benefits of her actions, but it was making her father proud of her. If the war ended soon, they may not find out the true extent of the serum's powers, buying Makeda more time to win over her father. 

Makeda nodded once and slowly got to her feet. She supposed it would only be a matter of time until she was called back. Each time the serum pulled her out of battle, the less time she had to recuperate before being called back. At least it would give her something to do to protect her own people. 

Muscles ached and strained to keep her upright, feet struggling to stay beneath her as she matched Theo’s speed. Not one to admit weakness, she shrugged off his numerous offers to help, determined to hide how much had been taken out of her as her body tried to fight against the serum.

The war room bustled with warriors decked out in various melee weapons, guns, and shields as they scrambled around with updated ECHO coordinates and holograms of the enemy’s whereabouts. At the center of the vast room was her father, standing at the head of the control panels, shouting out orders, both over his ECHO and to those present in the room when he locked eyes with Makeda and motioned both she and Theo to the back corner of the room.

“Glad to see you’re back on your feet,” he commented as she approached, chest puffed up despite the hollow ache in it.

Makeda saluted him and nodded. “Sir, you requested to see me?” Formal, yes, but it was how things were supposed to be. Familial ties didn’t matter in war, only rank and respect: something her father constantly reminded her throughout childhood.

“Yes, I need you to travel to Elpis to give these plans to a woman named Moxxi.”

“May I ask what her intentions are with this kind of weapon?” She flipped through the digital blueprints that had been transferred to her position.

“All you need to know is the intention to prevent further bloodshed-“

Makeda’s brow furrowed- these were the weapon plans for the man-made black hole they had been working with Hyperion to develop. Why were they sharing it with a third party? She voiced her concerns, “Sir, why exactly are we involving someone outside Hyperion?”

Much to her surprise, Max did not reprimand her, but instead held her steady gaze with some form of respect and answered, “There are reports that Jack has become unstable- dangerous even. Our intell informs us that he‘s seeking the Vault. His actions have Dahl forces retaliating with the help of Eridian warriors to prevent him from using its power, and as a result of our connection with him, we’ve become targets as well-“

“So we’re going back on our deal to save our own asses?”

He glared at her, eyes narrowing in a warning to fall back in line. “The deal is a moot point if the Eridians wipe us out. We’re only being attacked as a result of working with _him._ New information has forced us to reevaluate our plans.” Calloused hands found their way to her shoulders. “We’re preserving our way of life. That won’t exist if we don’t sever our ties with Hyperion.”

Makeda stared, wide-eyed brimming with confusion. The once proud, capable man was now standing before her, ragged and grasping at straws. No more cold calculations or loyalty, just desperation, and if Makeda was honest with herself, she was frightened. Never in her life had she seen her Father in such a state. Never had they faced such a powerful enemy, and it was causing them to betray former allies. They could no longer take pride in their unwavering convictions and partnerships. They were losing this war that’d been thrust upon them, and now considered any and all possibility to protect themselves. All wishes of the war ending quickly had been answered, but she wasn't sure she preferred this way out of it.

“So, we’re sacrificing everyone and everything aboard Helios to save ourselves?”

“Jack signed off their fates as soon as he started searching for the Vault on Elpis.”

It didn’t make her feel any better, but her Father was also her commander. There was no arguing with him. Casualties were a part of war, and maybe this way would prevent countless more.

She nodded and pocketed her ECHO with a heavy heart, shooting Theo a wary look as if to beg him to have some alternative plan, but he ignored her wordless plea. “Alright, just- just update the coordinates with where I need to go. I’ll get my things ready.” Makeda turned on her heel and stormed out of the control room, hands fidgeting with the hem of her undershirt, uncertain of the repercussions of the change of course.


	7. The First Heist

“You better not shoot me in the back, El Fuerte,” Kei grumbled as she laced up her combat boots while the pair stood on the ledge to survey the area they were about to invade: the Hyperion information stock hold. Up until this point, they’d barely spoken a word to one another- really only to discuss the blueprints of the facility and their plan of attack. No pleasantries had been exchanged- just the barebones of conversation to relay information back and forth between one another. 

Not one for long range attacks, it was decided that Kei would sneak in and hack the data point while Mordecai provided support from the safety of the ledge. She really couldn’t argue against his plan- she was smaller and more agile. Plus it was something she’d done in the past without support. Therefore, it was decided she’d do what she did best: breaking and entering, killing anyone that got in her way. It was more productive that way- at least in her eyes. Mordecai had some objections until she brought size into the equation, along with the fact she didn’t use guns. Did he really want her watching his back when her long-range aim was shaky at best? The downside was that she would have to trust him to have her back in case things got a little too hairy, and he’d have to trust her not to bolt or sell them out to Hyperion. 

“So long as you don’t take the chip and run,” he warned, no doubt recognizing the temptation being harbored by his ‘partner’. Any chip with that kind of sensitive information was worth a pretty penny, and no doubt enough to get smuggled off the planet- something Kei’d need if his instincts were correct, and she did betray Roland and the Crimson Raiders… Mordecai would personally see to putting a bullet between those pretty amber eyes…

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Kei lied, as she often did, sliding the throwing knives into the holsters in her shoe and upper thigh. His eyes bore through her back, no doubt detecting the lie dangling precariously at the tips of her teeth. She shifted her weight as she straightened up and turned to face him, made uncomfortable by his unwavering gaze. “Watch and learn, Four-eyes.”

A few steps backward and she was free falling off the ledge, rolling with the landing before taking cover behind some nearby crates. Nimble feet carried her with ease to one of the air vents on the closest side of the building.

“Not sure what I’m suppose to be learning, except that you can fall off cliffs…” came the gruff, accented voice over her ECHO. 

At the entrance of the crammed vent, covered in dirt and cobwebs, Kei paused and sat on folded knees to respond in a hush tone, “Listen, I’m not sure if you’ve ever been breaking and entering before, but it usually involves silence, not loud, crackling sass.” She slid the ECHO back onto her belt loop and muted it, not wanting to become distracted by the cranky man on the other end nor wanting her presence in the building to be compromised. 

Kei began her crawl once more through the vents of the stock hold, blueprints of the structure engrained in her brain- having spent the midnight oil studying up for this very task. 

Muffled conversations between security personnel updating status reports continuously clued her in on the situation, and allowed her to make sure no one noticed her sneaking through the vents. Others conversations that came through the vents were engineers and scientist, much like the ones she’d encountered on the station, talking about upcoming experiments or the struggles they were encountering with Eridium-based experiments. With clenched fists, she had to stop and breathe as previously suppressed rage pulsed through her veins- fight or flight threatened to burst forth- both of which would compromise the mission, and she genuinely couldn’t bear to face Roland with bad news. 

Their time will come, she reminded herself as she forced back down the memories of the experiments. At that moment, she had a job to complete, and she didn’t want to give the ol’ skin-and-bones back at the ridges any reason to doubt her ability. So she continued on, occasionally brushing cobwebs out of the way. Eventually, the gruff voices of security personnel and loader bots drifted away to that of highly educated dwellers. The voices of scientists only reassured her she was closer to her destination. 

She pressed onwards until she reached the vent access of the storage room, which, to her surprise, was completely empty. With careful ease, she took out a laser cutter from her tool belt and began unlatching the hatch, pausing with each passing footstep just in case one of the Hyperion lackeys decided to waltz in and interrupt her heist. Gloved, nimble fingers pried the cover off and cradled it carefully and quietly to the side as she crawled out. 

“I’m in,” She whispered over the ECHO, “now what am I looking for exactly? And before you make some smart-ass remark, String Bean, I know its vault-key related.”

“Do you see the terminal to your left of the vent?”

Kei tiptoed over to the indicated terminal, and tapped on the screen to get it to turn on as she simultaneously plugged in the chip with the codes to bypass security. “Alright, I’m in.”

“Look for any communications between the hub and the ugly-ass space station in the sky...” There was a brief pause. “You can read, right?”

If there weren’t a need for silence at the present moment, she would’ve scoffed. “Shouldn’t that have been something we went over before you sent me in?” she teased. “All I can make out are lines. I’ll just take everything on the hard drive. They won’t notice that, right?” 

She scanned through all of the comms in the terminal, pulling the ones vault-key related over to the chip as she waited for another comment from the peanut gallery, but the line remained silent. 

“Captain Oblivious, it was a joke,” she finally remarked, unsure if he was genuinely panicked at the fact she may or may not know how to read. “No need to come down here. I’m just about finished.

Still, silence. Maybe he’d tuned her out like she had done to him, but he seemed a bit to serious about things to do something that childish. Regardless, she had work to do, and time was of the essence.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mordecai was certain she’d cut him out of range again on purpose. Kei seemed to have a penchant for pissing off anyone that wasn’t Roland, it seemed, and he certainly found himself in the former category. It wasn’t that she was incompetent- she’d impressed Roland enough to have him trust her, and that was enough proof for him to understand she was decent. It was that she could easily sneak away with valuable information that could help pay her way off the planet. 

Or worse.

She could betray them and go to Hyperion. Reveal the Crimson Raider’s plans and expose their weaknesses. The whole fearing Hyperion could be an act. They had spies anywhere, and she could just be good enough to get Roland to trust her. Maybe she’d forced him off the network so they wouldn’t hear her communicating with the enemy. 

He whistled up to the soaring bird of prey circling the stockade. Within seconds, Bloodwing was perched on Mordecai’s shoulder, eating scraps of food the sniper had stored for him. “Keep an eye out for trouble, girl,” he advised before sending his pet back into the air. 

Bringing the scope of his rifle back up to his line of sight, looking around where Kei first disappeared for any sign of her emergence. Ready to follow any deviation in her plan- if it was his, he’d be retrieving the information himself- with a bullet between those pretty almond eyes. 

Much as he was prone to do, after all these years on Pandora, he was beginning to assume the worst. It was reasonable to believe she hadn’t been captured. There were no sirens sounding, and no explosions or scuffles to be heard, but there was no reason she should be taking this long… Unless Kei was spilling their plans to Hyperion… 

He shook his head. If Roland trusted her, then he should give her the benefit of the doubt. Watch her closely; of course, but still give her a chance. Maybe…

Mordecai was just about to head in there himself, still fighting the inner dialogue of distrust, when Kei finally emerged from the same vent, pausing for a moment. He raised the scope to his eye once more, waiting on her to make a move to bolt.

The moments dragged on as she stood there, unmoved, as her gaze remained fixed on a point– from what he could tell- on the other side of the mountain range. Just as his finger fiddled with the trigger, almost certain she was going to head towards whatever captivated her gaze, her attention was captured once more by him, and he could almost feel the fire from her gaze- even if he was certain she couldn’t entirely see him. 

That was when he noticed the loader bot rounding the corner. With a bang that echoed throughout the mountain range, he took out the arm of the bot and aimed for the other, taking it down with ease. Kei glanced behind her, shock evident on her face as she noticed the loader bot in disrepair. 

Before any of the security could get to her position, she lunged forward and began climbing up the ridge towards where she’d left him. With ease, she scaled the mountain and arrived within minutes with what seemed to be super-human speed, smiling down at him from his sniping position as she pulled him up to his feet and motioned for them to run.

Kei tugged Mordecai along the rocky path, leaping over obstacles with ease- certain they were soon to be joined by loader bots at any moment. Together, they maneuvered the crevices and peaks as Bloodwing covered their backs for any potential attack- but it never came. 

Silence continued to reign until it was nothing but heavy breathing and beating hearts. They paused only when the stockade was out of sight, and the mountains effectively covered their position.

Kei leaned against the face of the mountain, catching her breath as she dangled the data file in front of Mordecai. She placed a hand on her cocked hip as she raised an eyebrow. “You need to learn to take a joke. I can read. You didn’t need to cut off communication with me.”

“No, you’ve got it wrong. You cut me out,” Mordecai retorted, up-righting himself after he caught his breath, hands on both of his hips.

“I wouldn’t do that, Bird-Boy, you’ve got such a lovely voice. I could never do that to you,” she teased and tossed him the chip. “Here, before you shoot me. I got the information, just like you and Roland wanted.”

Mordecai raised an eyebrow, both at the nick-names that never seemed to stop and because surprised she was handing over the information to him outright, since only a few moments ago, she was probably contemplating a way to weasel her way out of this with the chip to make a pretty penny. “Color me surprised, chica-“

“Ditto, with you not actually shooting at me.”

It was her way of saying thanks without actually breathing a word of appreciation. A brief moment passed between them, where not a word was spoken, and the pair looked at the ground, unsure what else to say. Their mission was a success, and as far as they knew, they pulled it off without detection. 

Though both questioned the ease with which they were able to pull off the heist. The lack of security was concerning- certainly sensitive information would be more carefully guarded… And both were a little disappointed there wasn’t a little bloodshed or excitement- except the rush of escaping. Still, success was success, even if it was easily obtained. 

“So, I don’t know how you usually do things, but after I accomplish something I celebrate with some booze,” Kei interrupted the silence as she glanced back up at the lanky figure, whose wondering eyes tried to look anywhere except at her. “What do you say? Think of it as an alcoholic peace offering…”

She waited with baited breath for his response, pleased when he finally shrugged. “Why not. Was gonna celebrate that way anyways.” Mordecai began scaling the ridge, and calling over his shoulder, he added “We’re going to my place though- less cats and frostbite.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's short, but it's the introduction. Also, if you guys have a tumblr, I have an RP blog for my OC under kei-oh. Feel free to reach out and talk to me there :)


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